Title: Rock and Roll in Costa Rica’s Whale Coast
Residents, retirees, locals and tourist in the Costa Ballena or South Pacific Coast of Costa Rica aren’t lacking for musical entertainment. Nancy Buchan who has been associated with Bonnie Rait, Jimmy Buffett and various big musical names lives here with her husband Good Time Charlie. Charlie arranges various groups and live music all around the area. Most lately, Nancy has been playing with Kim Carson and the Radiators.
For people in the area, there is live music at the Marakuya Bar in Dominical on Tuesdays, The Tucan Hotel in Uvita on Wednesdays (with a buffet dinner), Dominical’s Rum bar on Thursdays, Los Delfines in Bahia Uvita on Friday’s as well as Twisted Tucan in Ojochal, sometimes a reggae or calypso night at Las Terrazas on Saturdays, again at Uvita’s Tucan on Saturday’s with Trey’s Band and at the Hotel Rio Lindo on Sundays. If that isn’t enough, Hotels Cuna del Angel and Crystal Ballena both hold monthly classical music concerts or jazz. Once a month, Mistura Waterfall restaurant has a full moon party with a bonfire and a band. Taj Mahal was just at Playa Zancuda and The String Cheese incident owns land in Escaleras.
Check out the article submitted by Nancy Buchan concerning quality music here in Costa Rica
MUSIC
Seems like we`re all planting some kind of seed this time of year, full of hope for its growth and marveling at the new beginnings all around us. The plants are trying to take over, folks are getting married, artists are starting new paintings, the kids are giving recitals – it`s just a fine time to be in our little dysfunction junction.
My April column was all about the Infinite River Orchestra (Orquesta del Rio Infinito) and since I’ve been driving my buddies nuts with tales of this adventure, I feel compelled to tell my readers about it. To really get the feel of this project, check out www.rioinfinito.com for photos, videos, the environmental agenda, future plans, biographies of the participants and press. Everything was being documented, so I imagine there will be CDs and DVDs available at some point, and the first concert at La Sabana in San Jose has been on national TV at least twice. At that very visual concert we had two stages in the lake with a water fountain in between, a ramp in the middle with the two musical directors and pianists, Manuel Obregon from Costa Rica and Benjamin Taubkin from Brazil, great lighting effects and fireworks behind us.
We started rehearsals in San Jose with the 35 musicians from 18 different countries introducing themselves and playing something typical of their style. Others joined in if they understood it and felt like contributing, so basically we had a whole lot of mini-jams getting to know each other. A Peña. We all shared common ground in the music, and there were the typical instruments involved – 3 electric guitars, a couple of acoustic guitar-like variations, 3 electric bass, 2 saxophones, 2 violins (3 if you count this really weird looking instrument played with a bow by Siba from Brazil), 2 flutes, 4 marimbas, a harp, a cello and 2 accordions. Then there`s the bizarre and fascinating percussion section, with leaf fronds that you shake, gourds and birdcages and rain sticks and strange things you blow into…and, did I mention Mauricio, the Ecuadorian Shaman who chanted and played 3 five foot long flutes at the same time? Or the seven unbelievable female vocalists who left their egos at the door and thrilled us all with their powerful messages and harmonies.
At a large press conference we all met Leon Gieco, an Argentinian singer, songwriter, environmental and social activist who has over 30 CDs to his credit and who is considered to be the Bob Dylan/Pete Seeger of South America. He`s performed with Sting and Springsteen and others onstage at the Amnesty International concerts. He`s written and published at least 3 books. His song, Solo le pido a Dios, is a passion filled anthem for the humble man that never failed to bring people to their feet singing along – often with tears rolling down their faces. An incredibly intense and important man, he had been active in protecting and cleaning up rivers in his country, so it was a natural fit for him to combine his efforts with Manuel Obregon and the objectives of the Orquesta del Rio Infinito. This man was soooo cool and was treated like royalty wherever we went, but he was just another guy jamming on the bus and was gracious and nice to everyone.
In the lovely town of Palmares we did some workshops with local musicians and music students, and you should have seen their smiles when they were invited to join the band on stage for the finale. Some 60 families patiently waited an hour and a half after the concert to collect a musician or crew member to take home with them. My family lived on a lovely hillside with a view of Poas Volcano, and their 7 year old daughter gave up her pink Barbie doll filled bedroom to me – a stranger just making music. A water blessing ceremony was held near there one afternoon, with local indigenous people and Ticos working together to address their issues politically, and everywhere we went peope signed letters to public officials supporting environmental attention to the health of rivers.
NOTES
The final concert was in the town of San Carlos , Nicaragua, on a beautiful Lake Cocibolca . We passed through a little customs shack on the Costa Rican side, and then the musicians all got on a flat bottomed boat to go down the Rio San Juan into Nicaragua. As we passed the border we were surrounded by boats full of machine-gun carrying policemen with big ole` smiles, boats full of cameramen and writers, and a boat with a brass band. Rarely has a bunch of musicians had such a glorious escort into a country… We were paraded through town and met at the stage by the mayor and other dignitaries. We were treated to performances by local school children about how they are helping to protect their rivers, and the entire event was broadcast live over the internet in all of Central and South America.
Throughout this trip children made tapestries or quilts or collages or some kind of art to demonstrate and educate about the plight of the rivers. Local grass-roots ecologically aware groups set up information centers and even the press seemed to center in on the message and not just the messengers. Seeing the pride and willingness of ordinary people to be caretakers of this planet was a hopeful and humbling experience.
Of course dancing with my 70 something violin playing buddy Miguel from Panama was also humbling, but one of my favorite moments. There were some hilarious stuff that went down , and no doubt there were some great musical moments, so I hope everyone gets a chance to hear or watch some of the concerts. However, the enduring message is one of hope that change can happen when our shared efforts produce something much grander and more important than the individual.
We`re headed down the Amazon in November and the Mississippi the next year, so stay tuned!
There`s a diverse and interesting concert coming up on June 7th at 7:00 pm at the Cultural Center in San Isidro. “Ayer, Hoy and Siempre”, (Yesterday, Today and Always), will be a performance of Tangos, Boleros, Waltzes, Bachatas, Sambas and other styles of Latin music. The participants are current and ex students and faculty from the Escuela Sinfonica (music school in San Isidro near the square), and there will be a small orchestra accompanying several different singers, all under the direction of Leonel Calvo.
As always, thanks for supporting live music and I urge business and hotel owners to contact the various venues around town and find out what`s happening so they can tell their guests or clients about their choices. Locals and visitors should check with the Rum Bar at Rio Lindo as they have BBQ and music on most Sundays and often music inside on Thursdays.
Maracatu has open jam night on Tuesdays, and the Tucan Bar in Uvita has live music and buffet on Wednesdays, with a special welcome back party and open jam for Nelson and Oliver on June 2nd.
Someone contacted me about a free (needs work) upright piano she will donate to a school or church or similar good cause. Email me at njbfiddle@aol.com or 88 32 5810.
“Musical compositions, it should be remembered, do not inhabit certain countries, certain museums.like paintings and statues. The Mozart Quintet is not shut up in Salzburg: I have it in my pocket” Henri Rabaud
“You`ve got to continue to grow, or you`re just like last night`s cornbread – stale and dry.”
